The ad for Chanel No. 5 definitely plays on the sexuality and eroticism of the classic “Little Red Riding Hood” tales. The commercial begins with an image of a beautiful young woman clad in a silk red dress, walking down the length of a hallway. We can infer, from her erratic, confused movements and the wide-eyed expression on her face, that the girl is naïve, frightened, and vulnerable. Ill-equipped to venture out alone into the dangerous, uncertain urban forest that is Paris, she requires some sort of magical token to offer safety and protection.
And then—voila!—the young Parisian woman stumbles upon a rich trove of Chanel No. 5 perfume bottles, aligned in a brilliant, glowing array that stretches all the way to the ceiling. Enchanted, the maiden grasps a bottle in her hand, and a smug, almost mischievous look flits across her face. In the background, we see a forbidding shadow—the wolf, lurking in the background, waiting to pounce. Armed with the perfume, however, the woman is invincible: she fastens on her red cape and boldly swings open the door, to the magnificent sight of Paris sprawling before her. Then, with a coy smirk, Little Red Riding Hood looks back at the expectant wolf and seductively shushes him before walking out the door. As if by command, the animal submissively sits down and, with an air of defeat, watches Little Red Riding Hood disappear into the night. The ad closes with the wolf omitting a despondent, forlorn howl.
In the advertisement, Chanel No. 5 is dramatized as a sort of magical elixir that confers protection against “big, bad wolves.” In other words, if a young lady wears this scent, she will be immune to seduction and temptation. She will be able to tackle the dangerous realm of the “forest”—the modern city—without succumbing to the advances of the “wolf”—predatory men.
The commercial subverts the original Little Red Riding Hood trajectory. In this version, Little Red Riding Hood is not a submissive, meek little girl who blindly follows the wolf’s commands. Rather, we see a strong, sensual seductress who is in control of her situation. In the end, she expertly triumphs over the wolf, silencing him to submission like an innocent pet dog.
Overall, I think the ad successfully exploits a popular fairy tale to sell a product. Playing on the inherent eroticism of the classic Little Red Riding Hood tales, the ad suggests that Chanel No. 5 will empower women to be strong and independent and to navigate the uncertainties of the modern world, warding off any “wolves” they may encounter on their way.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnwHS3wc1B8
Very interesting post! I was not familiar with this commercial, but I agree with you about its presumed eroticism. Does it not remind you somewhat of the film version with Christina Ricci we screened in class on Wednesday? What I mean is that both versions of Little Red Riding Hood (Ricci, this Chanel model) are in control of her sexuality in ways that the Little Red Riding Hood character typically is not in the literary versions. Thoughts?
ReplyDeleteAlso, I really like your interpretation of how, with classic Chanel No. 5, “she will be able to tackle the dangerous realm of the ‘forest’—the modern city—without succumbing to the advances of the ‘wolf’—predatory men.” What a perfect – and astute – utilization of the Tatar “Introduction.”